F.C.C. Chairman Orders Inquiry Into Disney’s D.E.I. Practices

The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission said on Friday that he had opened an investigation into Disney’s diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the latest attempt under the Trump administration to halt such efforts.

In a letter to Robert A. Iger, the chief executive of Disney, Brendan Carr, the chairman, said the company’s programs to increase diversity in hiring and to promote race-based affinity groups appeared to violate equal employment opportunity regulations.

“I want to ensure that Disney ends any and all discriminatory initiatives in substance, not just name,” Mr. Carr said in the letter, which was sent on Thursday. “For another, I want to determine whether Disney’s actions — whether ongoing or recently ended — complied at all times with applicable F.C.C. regulations.”

A Disney spokesman said the company was reviewing the F.C.C.’s letter. “We look forward to engaging with the commission to answer its questions.”

Mr. Carr, a veteran Republican regulator, began his tenure as chairman of the F.C.C. in January by starting a sweeping campaign to scrutinize the media, attempting to root out allegations of left-leaning bias and policies scorned by the president.

Last month, he began a similar diversity and inclusion inquiry into Comcast, the parent company of NBCUniversal. Mr. Carr has also said merger reviews undertaken by the agency will now include investigations of companies’ D.E.I. programs.